M. Doyle, J. Gilbert, & F. Manning Return to the #LeiCrimeKW

M.L. Doyle, Julie Gilbert and Fiona Manning return to the Lei Crime Series Kindle World. Doyle and Manning have released their second books while Gilbert her sixth.

What have you enjoyed the most about being an author for the Lei Crime Kindle World?

M.L.: Writing is a solitary sport. Any chance to connect with other authors, get their advice, share triumphs and challenges is a gift. The Lei Crime Kindle World group is so diverse in terms of genres we usually write, you can get a wide range of takes on any issue. I count many of them as friends and we all met through the Kindle World experience.

Fiona: I have always loved mysteries and love the Lei Crime series. It was wonderful to be able to dip my feet into this world and I am so grateful to Toby Neal for allowing me to play in her rich, abundant waters!

Why have you chosen to write a sequel to your Lei Crime Kindle World book?

M.L.: I love the characters! I always loved Toby’s Ken Yamata. In Hidden Designs, giving him a lover, Major Chuck Mathews and the way they are together is so much fun. As a veteran, the Army’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy always bothered me. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like for career service members who were gay. How could you go your entire career and not have a lover? Or how did the threat of losing everything you’ve worked for, impact what you allowed yourself to feel? It just seemed brutal to me and I know soldiers weren’t the only ones going through such difficult questions. FBI agents, athletes, teachers and so many others had to sacrifice love, and hide such an important aspect of themselves to be a professional. I love exploring how freeing it must be now to be able to love and still keep your life in one piece for people in the LGBT community.

Fiona: To be honest, I love the character I picked, Tiare Kaihale, Pono’s wife. With Toby’s support and encouragement I created a world for Tiare as a woman who loves her family, but also has a very active work life. Ideas kept coming to me for her. I am working on book 3 in my Dark Dawn series now! It’s entitled Darkest Dawn.

Julie, you have published 5 books for the Lei Crime Kindle World. What makes you continue writing novellas for the series?

Julie: Two words: Marcella Scott. She’s just such an awesome character. I initially had this grand idea of exploring a lot of different side characters. I figured Lei Texeira and Michael Stevens would be front and center of dozens of pieces, so I’d get to know some of the lesser known characters. Writing Money Makes it Deadlier derailed that plan. It was too much fun to pit her against crazy people. I had to do it again…then again…and yeah, well, you know how that went.

How is this book different from your other Lei Crime Kindle World stories?

Violence in Vegas is about FBI Special Agent Marcella Scott, but it’s not a part of the Shadow Council series. They might rear their ugly heads again sometime in the future, but I’m giving the girl a break from them for a while. One of my beta readers said I should send the lady on vacation, and another said, “why not make it Vegas?”… so here we are. I present to you, Marcella’s vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What advice do you two have for authors who are considering writing in a Kindle World?

M.L. Doyle, author of Hidden Designs

M.L.: Take the opportunity to write something you normally wouldn’t. Find a world that you love and allow it to get your creative juices flowing. If you’re already an author, it’s a great way to step outside of what you usually write, your usual world and try something else. All bets are off, in a way. As long as the writing is good, your voice will be heard. That’s kind of liberating.

Julie Gilbert, author of Violence in Vegas

Julie: If you’re serious, join the private Facebook group and ask questions. Pick a character who really speaks to you. One of the things I love about Toby Neal’s world is that there are so many intriguing side characters to explore. There are a few people who are off limits, but other than that, it’s a wide-open world to have fun with.

Fiona: Go for it, but I strongly advise to read Toby’s “cannon” books and also the other books in the Lei Crime World. They are not only awesome but depending on which character you choose, you’ll want to know how others have depicted them.

Holy cow! GREAT interview! Marcella in Vegas? Ordering TODAY! Thanks, Julie! And loved both Mary’s and Fiona’s books! Can’t wait to win that large (or even a small one) Amazon gift card, which will go ALL to LCS KW books!!!!

I love reading these snappy interviews with the authors of the Lei Crime Kindle World. So far I have read all of Julie’s Marcella Scott ones (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and both Fiona’s and M.L. Doyle’s initial novels. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new ones. Thanks for the continuing stories everyone.

Get lost in the Lei Crime Series

Meet Toby

Toby Neal was raised on Kauai in Hawaii. She wrote and illustrated her first story at age 5. After initially majoring in journalism, she eventually settled on mental health as a career and loves her work, saying, “I’m endlessly fascinated with people’s stories.”Read More ›